[ivie] IVIE Constitution

[Ardis Bazyn]

Hi all,
    This summer we want to revise the IVIE Constitution. We could not find a newer copy of the Constitution and we know some changes have been made-- several years ago. Please check it and make any recommendations you would like so our Constitution and Bylaws Committee can bring a recommended version to our Monday business networking meeting. See below:
INDEPENDENT VISUALLY IMPAIRED ENTERPRISERS

 

CONSTITUTION

 

ARTICLE I

Name: The name of this organization shall be Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers.

 

ARTICLE II

Purpose: The purpose of Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers is to strive for the betterment of our total community:

            

            A. Through a representative national organization primarily of visually impaired people;

 

            B. By providing a forum for the views of the visually impaired from all corners of the nation and from all types of enterprises;

 

            C. By elevating the social, economic and cultural level of the visually impaired;

 

            D. By improving educational and rehabilitational facilities for all types of business enterprises;

 

            E. By broadening vocational opportunities in business enterprises;

 

            F. By encouraging and assisting the visually impaired, especially the newly visually impaired, to develop their abilities and potentialities and to assume a responsible place in business endeavors;

 

            G. By cooperating with the public and private institutions and agencies of and for the visually impaired in developing business enterprises of the visually impaired;

 

            H. By providing for the free exchange of ideas, opinions, and information relative to matters of concern to visually impaired people in business enterprises through publication of a magazine;

 

            I. By conducting a program of public education aimed toward improving the understanding of the problems of visually impaired and of the capabilities of visually impaired people involved in business.

 

ARTICLE III

Membership, Voting and Dues: Any person or organization of the visually impaired throughout the world is eligible to become a member of this organization upon complying with the provisions hereinafter contained.

 

            A. Membership: The membership of this organization shall be of two classes, voting and non-voting.

                        1. A voting member shall be a person with impaired vision who is, has

                        been or plans to be engaged in one or more business enterprises.

 

                        2. An associate member shall be an individual, firm, corporation or

                        institution sustaining membership.

 

            B. Affiliation:

 

                        1. Any organization having at least ten (10) voting members, the

                        majority of whom are visually impaired, may apply for affiliation with

                        this organization.  Such application must be approved by a majority of 

                        Directors.  To remain in good standing, an affiliate must comply with 

                        these requirements at all times.

 

                        2. Any individual may apply to become a member-at-large provided he

                        meets the qualifications set forth in the By-Laws.

 

            C. Voting: Each voting member attending a National Convention shall be entitled to one (1) vote.  In addition, official delegates from affiliates shall cast the number of votes to which their organization is entitled as provided in the By-Laws.

 

            D. Dues: Dues shall be paid on a calendar year basis, January to January.

 

                        1. The dues of affiliate organizations shall be on a per capita basis.

 

                        2. The amount of all dues shall be as set forth in the By-Laws.

 

            E. Suspension and Expulsion: Any affiliate or member-at-large may be expelled or suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Convention after a hearing, as prescribed in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.  In the proceedings to expel or suspend, the affiliate or member-at-large charged shall have the right to vote.

 

ARTICLE IV

Officers:

            

            A. The Officers of this organization shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and their terms of office shall be two years.

 

            B. The officers shall constitute the Executive Board.

 

            C. No officer of this organization shall be elected for more than three (3) consecutive terms to the same office, except the Treasurer.

 

            D. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote cast at any regular National Convention.

 

ARTICLE V

Powers and Duties of the Convention, the Officers, the Executive Board and of Committees:

 

            A. Any voting member of this organization may make or second motions, propose nominations, serve on Committees and be elected to office.  The Convention shall determine the time and place of its meetings.

 

            B. Officers of this organization shall perform the usual functions of their offices as prescribed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, unless otherwise provided for in the By-Laws.

 

            C. The Executive Board shall be the governing body of this organization between Conventions, provided that it shall make no policy decisions and take no official action in conflict with existing decisions or actions of the Convention.

 

            D. The Nominating Committee, composed of at least three (3) members, shall be appointed by the President, to submit a recommendation of officers to be elected.

 

ARTICLE VI

Meetings: A regular meeting of this organization shall be held once a year, to be known as the Annual Convention.  A majority of all voters certified and registered as Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers member and seated at the Convention shall constitute a quorum to do business.

 

ARTICLE VII

Procedure: In the absence of provisions contained herein or in the By-Laws, all proceedings of this organization shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.

 

ARTICLE VIII

Amendments: This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any regular Convention of this Organization, Constitutional amendments by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, and By-Laws amendments by a simple majority vote of those present and voting according to voting procedures contained herein; and provided that such proposed amendment to the Constitution and/or the By-Laws shall be presented in writing to the Constitution and By-Laws Committee.

 



INDEPENDENT VISUALLY IMPAIRED ENTERPRISERS

 

BY-LAWS

 

BY-LAW 1

 

Members at Large: Any person, who is not a certified member of an affiliated organization of Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers, may apply for membership-at-large.  Such applications shall be made to the Treasurer, in writing, and shall be accompanied by an initiation fee of Twenty-five and No/100 ($25.00) Dollars, which includes the first year's dues.

 

BY-LAW 2

 

Voting:

 

A. Each affiliate represented at the Convention shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each twenty-five (25) of its voting members, or a major fraction thereof, provided that an affiliate may cast not more than twenty-five (25) votes.

 

B. The right of an affiliate to vote shall be conditioned on the payment of dues and the furnishing of a certified alphabetical list of names and addresses of voting members to the Treasurer and the National Office of the Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers not less than ninety (90) days prior to the National Convention.  If an affiliate fails to comply with this section, the first year of non-compliance may result in revocation of the affiliate's charter.

 

BY-LAW 3

 

Dues:

 

A. Dues for members-at-large shall be Ten ($10.00) Dollars a year, to include subscription to semi-annual periodical.

 

B. Affiliate dues shall be paid on a per capita basis at the rate of Ten ($10.00) Dollars per voting member.

 

C. Dues for sustaining members shall be Ten ($10.00) Dollars a year for individuals, firms, corporations or institutions.

 

D. All dues are due not less than ninety (90) days prior to each Annual Convention, to be a voting member at Annual Convention.

 

E. Not less than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the National Convention, the Treasurer shall notify in writing each affiliate and member-at-large of the deadline for receiving dues and required membership lists.

 

BY-LAW 4

 

Duties of the Officers:

 

A. The president shall be responsible for the supervision of all employees of this organization except professional staff. The President shall select professional staff subject to approval by the Executive Board.  Not less than sixty (60) days prior to the opening of the Annual Convention, the President shall have the responsibility to appoint a qualified individual w ho is familiar with and who has available to him or her an updated copy of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, to serve as a parliamentarian during that Annual Convention.

 

B. The Secretary of this organization, in addition to the usual duties of such office, shall furnish to each affiliate and member-at-large a summary of all official actions taken at the Convention or meetings of the Executive Board, within sixty (60) days after the conclusion of such Convention and/or meetings.  The Secretary shall maintain a roll of the certified voting members of each affiliate and of the members-at-large.

 

C. The Treasurer of this organization, in addition to the usual duties of such office, shall forward to the Secretary the names of all voting members as received.  The Treasurer shall furnish a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Board.

 

BY-LAW 5

 

Powers and Duties of the Executive Board:

 

A. All appointments of professional staff shall be submitted to the Executive Board within thirty (30) days.  Such appointments shall not be final until approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Executive Board.

 

B. Dismissal of professional staff shall be the sole responsibility of the Executive Board.  Such dismissal shall require a majority vote of the Executive Board, and only after the employee in question has been offered opportunity for a hearing.

 

C. The Executive Board may be polled by mail.

 

BY-LAW 6

 

Standing committees:

 

A. Membership - The President shall appoint a Membership Chairperson; Chairperson shall appoint additional members to serve on this committee.

 

B. Committee on Credentials - There shall be a Committee on Credentials composed of the Secretary, the Treasurer and one (1) member, who is not an officer, to be appointed by the President.

 

            1. The Committee shall determine that each member and/or affiliate desiring 

            admission to and participation in the Annual Convention, or any other meeting of 

            the membership, shall have complied with the requirements set up in the 

            Constitution and By-Laws, and with any pertinent ruling or actions taken by prior 

            Annual Conventions.

 

            2. Any affiliate shall submit in writing the names of any delegate or delegates to 

            the Credentials Committee.

 

            3. Any decision or ruling by the Committee effecting the right of a member or of 

            an affiliate to be admitted to an Annual Convention or meeting of the membership 

            shall be binding only for the duration of that Convention or meeting.  A decision 

            or ruling by the Committee shall be final unless reversed or modified by a 

            majority of the members present and voting.

 

            4. All decisions or rulings adverse to a member or to an affiliate shall be in 

            writing and shall be included in the Committee's report.

 

            5. A member or affiliate shall have the right to appeal an adverse decision or 

            ruling to the Convention.  The appellant member or appellant affiliate shall be 

            admitted to the Convention floor for the purpose of arguing the appeal, but shall 

            not have the right to vote thereon.  The appellant and appellee shall be entitled to 

            no more than thirty (30) minutes each to present argument and testimony.

 

            6. At the beginning of the Convention, the Committee shall inform the 

            Convention of the total number of voting members admitted, and shall submit a 

            written report containing the name of the official affiliate delegate, the number of 

            votes to which each affiliate shall be entitled, and the names of all voting 

            members admitted, as well as any other matters related to credentials.  The 

            Committee shall make supplementary reports if necessary during the Convention 

            to ensure that all voting members have the opportunity to be admitted.

 

C. Audit Committee - An Audit committee of three (3) individual members shall be elected annually by the Executive Board.  Members of this committee shall not hold any other elective office, and shall serve until their successors have been elected.

 

D. Resolutions Committee - The President shall appoint a Chairperson of a Resolutions Committee; the Chairperson shall appoint additional members to serve on this Committee.  This Committee shall receive and prepare resolutions to be considered at its opening meeting in conjunction with the ensuing National Convention.  All resolutions submitted to the Committee shall be reported upon with or without Committee recommendation.

 

E. Constitution and By-Laws Committee - The President shall appoint a chairperson; the chairperson is to select any assistant desired to a Constitution and By-Laws Committee. This Committee shall have the responsibility of considering and preparing amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws for presentation to the Convention.  All proposed amendments to the Constitution and/or By-Laws must be submitted in writing to the Constitution and By-Laws Committee on or before the first day of each Annual Convention, and the Constitution and By-Laws Committee must report all such written submissions, with or without committee recommendation.

 

F. Publications Committee - There shall be a Publications Committee; the President shall appoint a chairperson, the chairperson is to be the Editor of any publications made by Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers.  The chairperson shall appoint additional members to serve on this Committee.

 

G. National Convention Committee -- The president shall appoint a chairperson for a National Convention Committee, the chairperson is to appoint additional members to serve on this Committee.  This Committee shall be responsible for programs, recreation, events and meetings of members of the National Convention.

 

Ardis Bazyn
For inspirational speaking, business coaching, or writing: www.bazyncommunications.com
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Blog: abazyn.blogspot.com
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